Nut-lock



UNITED STATES .PATENT OEEICE.

JAMESF. GrOODR-IDGE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

NUT-LocK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 260,861, dated July 11, 1882.

Application filed September 27, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES F. GOODRIDGE, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locks for Fish-Plate Nuts,of which thefollowing is a specilication.

The object of the invention is the production of a lock-plate which may be so applied to the four nuts of a fish-plate as to lock them all and yet require the temporary removal of but asingle nut from the iish-plate during the process of its application; and theinvention consists of a metallic plate provided with' four lips or anges to abut against the nuts of the four bolts used in securing the'iish-plate to two adjoining rails, a hole to receive one of said bolts, and a slot to embrace the nut of another of the said bolts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nut-lock embracing my said invention as applied to 'a fish-plate bolted to two rails. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the samenutlock, detached. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a modified form of nut-lock within my said invention. Fig. is a view, on an enlarged scale, illustrative of the manner in which, under certain circumstances, the locking-lip may be turned up againstthemovable nut.

The shplate is marked F, the two rails R R2, the four bolts b b2 b3 b4, the four nuts n' u2 n3 n4.

A is the nut-lock plate,made of flexible iron or other suitable metal. There is cut therein a slot, s, adapted to fit the nut n3 when the latterhas been tightened upon its bolt b3, as shown in Fig. 1. It has also a hole, 7L, through which the bolt b2 passes when the plate A is applied to the fish-plate, as also shown in Fig. l. The plate A has also four lips, Z Z2 Z3 Z4, two of which, Z' and Z4, are formed by merely turning up the ends of the plate, as shown. In practical operation these end lips serve to lock respectivel y the outer nuts, a' In.4, and are turned up before the plate A is applied to the shplate. With some kinds of metal, iianges or shoulders cast with or. hammered from -the metal would answer for the lips thus formed. The lip Z3 is formed by increasing the length of the longitudinal cutmadc in cutting the slot Ys. In practical operation thislip also is turned up before the lock-plate is applied to the {ishplate. 4, is formed by making two cuts fromtheupper edge of the plate near thehole h, one on either side of said hole. For a purpose which A, will presently appear the lengthv of these cuts should exceed the distance between the top of the nut n2 and the upper edge of the plate A when the said nut is screwed to the position shown at Fig. 1. The lip ZZ is not turned up when the lock-plate is iirst applied totheshplate, but lies in Ythe plane of the lock-plate, the process by which the nut-lock, as a whole, is applied being as follows The nut n2 is first removed from its bolt b2 and the nut lotje or plate A so applied to the tishplate F'th/at the bolt b2 passes through the hole h, while the slot s lits loosely about the nut n3. The lips Z', Z3, and Z4 will rest against the nuts n', n3, and n4, as shownin Fig.1. 'lhenutnis then screwed tight upon its bolt b2, and the lip Z2' turned over upon it. If in tightening the nut u2 it comes square with the edge ofthe plate Af, the lip Z2 will be turned over, as shown in Fig. 1; but if the nut, when tightened, is not square with the plate the length-of the cuts in the plate forming the lip Z2 allows that lip to be turned over at a suitable angle, as shown in Fig. 4. Ii' the nuts n', n3, andn4 are notsqu'are with the plate A when tightened, they may be slightly loosened before the .plate is applied.

The important feature of this nut-lock is the slot s, since by its use a plate which serves as a washer and a guard for a nut on one side of the slot may serve also as a guardfor a nut on the 'other side of the slot and for a nut within the slot.

It is obvious that the object'of my invention may-be attained in a lock-plate formed otherwise than precisely as above described and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it being only essential that therc shall be a hole for one of the bolts, aslot for one of the nuts, andlips, iian ges, or shoulders for all the nuts. One of several forms which would obviously come within my invention is shown at Fig. 3, the lip Z2 of that iigure taking the place ot' the lip Z'Zofthe other iigures.

It will be observed thatY` the plateshown at The lip Z2, as shown in Figs. l, 2, andh/ Fig. 3 has beenvcut from theplate of stock uproo on thc interlocking plan with a View to save brace the nut of another of said bolts,substau material. oally as described, for the purpose specified.

I claim- A plate of flexible metal provided with four JAMES F. GOODRIDGE.

5 lips adapted to abut against or be turned against; the nuts of the four several bolts used Witnesses:

in securing a fish-plate to its rails, a hole for W. P. PREBLE, J r.,

receiving one of said bolts, and :L slot to em- TV. XV. SWAN. 

